


Through the Broccoli Plants

by imma_redshirt



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-26 09:50:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12056451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imma_redshirt/pseuds/imma_redshirt
Summary: Spock's carrying an injured McCoy around on his back, and McCoy is just a little bit annoyed.





	Through the Broccoli Plants

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying to write some Lord of the RIngs fanfic, but writing Lord of the Rings fanfic is intimidating AF, so I wrote this quick, ridiculous thing with a ridiculous title for practice. More Spock Carrying Injured McCoy fics for the win!
> 
> Enjoy!

“Doctor, if you continue to struggle, you will make our journey infinitely more difficult.”

“I’m not struggling,” McCoy snapped, and adjusted his arms around Spock’s neck. “I’m trying to get comfortable.”

Spock was silent for a beat. “Apologies, then, Doctor, as I’ve prioritized your safety over your comfort. In future instances I will--”

“Oh, can it, Spock, you’re making me sound ungrateful,” McCoy said, grumbling because he knew that Spock knew exactly what he was doing.

In place of responding, Spock reached down to grab hold of McCoy’s thighs and hoist him further up on his back. McCoy hadn’t expected the movement, much less the placement of Spock’s hands just beneath his ass, and was forced to hold back a surprised yelp. 

“You’re doin’ that on purpose,” he snapped.

Spock tilted his head. “Doctor?”

“Puttin’ your hands-- _there_ \--”

“If you would rather I carry you in my arms--”

“No! Forget it, just keep walking.”

“Leonard--”

“For. Get. _It._ ”

McCoy couldn’t see the trademark Vulcan Smirk, but he knew it was there.

He also knew they looked ridiculous. He knew they did. He tried _not_ to think of how ridiculous they looked, but the more he resisted, the more he pictured it in his mind: a skinny Vulcan trodding along through a field of shoulder high, broccoli-like crops, with a slightly bulkier, much muddier human hanging off his back like an old angry backpack.

McCoy turned his face so that his nose wasn’t buried in Spock’s hair, looked out over the tops of the broccoli plants, and tried not to think about the firm hand still gripping his thigh. Spock used his free hand to move the dark green stalks out of his way as he moved forward. At the moment, their only plan was to head for the strange forest on the horizon, where the same alien broccoli-plants seemed to grow at least five meters tall. The taller plants would hopefully serve as adequate shelter from the gathering storm moving in behind them, and if not from the cold winds, then at least from whatever rain would fall.

Their trek would have been much quicker and easier if McCoy had been walking alongside Spock. There also would have been far fewer chances for the Vulcan to make his little comments about McCoy’s predicament. There also wouldn’t have been any reason for McCoy to force himself not to think about strong Vulcan hands and their firm grips under his butt.

An hour ago, maybe a bit longer, they had been walking down the slope of a steep hill, which had been covered in more of those broccoli plants, except those had been only inches tall, and slippery under their boots, probably due to some earlier rains. The gathering storm had forced them to walk faster than was safe over the wet, slick plants, and the soft mud underneath, so of course McCoy’s slipping was inevitable. And of course it happened just a second after Spock cautioned “Please watch where you step, Leonard, the ground could give away at any moment” and McCoy’s snarled “I know what I’m doing.”

A mini mud slide had then proceeded to take place beneath the doctor’s feet, and sent him falling hard on his rear and then down the hill like a demonic Slip ‘N Slide. He’d heard Spock yelling after him, and had tried to get some hold of anything to stop himself or at least slow the fall, but the plants just came away in his hands and the mud seemed to grow slippier the further down he went.

And of course there was a pit just at the end of his impromptu dive down the hill.

He hadn’t heard his ankle snap as he dropped down the pit to the muddy bottom, but he sure as hell felt it.

It had taken a good while to get out of the pit, with McCoy balancing on one foot and reaching up to Spock, who had laid flat on his chest to reach down for the doctor’s hand. The pain had been constant, a sharp, throbbing agony that had made trying to balance on slick mud all the more difficult. He’d been breathing hard, could feel his face turning red, and he hadn’t been sure if he’d be able to stand much longer. But Spock had gripped his hand and pulled him up almost effortlessly, his Vulcan strength allowing him to lift the doctor over the edge and onto solid ground, and then right onto his back, where the human still clung.

Once again, Spock grabbed McCoy’s thighs with both hands and hefted him higher. The sudden movement jolted McCoy’s fracture, and he clenched his jaw against a gasp. Spock paused for a moment, dark head turning slightly to catch McCoy’s eye.

“I am sorry, Leonard. You were slipping.”

“I’m fine,” McCoy lied. He swallowed. “No worries, just keep moving.”

Spock started forward, both hands still firm under McCoy.

“Just want the Enterprise to show up,” McCoy said, just for the sake of saying anything. The silence bothered him, especially because it allowed for the far off thunder to sound louder and closer with each passing minute. “Get this fixed up in seconds. Being down here is just dragging on.”

“I apologize,” Spock said, slowing down. “If the pain is overwhelming--”

“It’s more annoying than anything else,” McCoy muttered. “Don’t slow down, you’re not hurting me by walking fast. But don’t go too fast,” he added quickly, as Spock sped up. “Last thing we need is you slipping, too.”

Spock continued on at the same speed. McCoy clung on as he had been. He could feel the wind growing colder against his back. Well, at the very least he was shielding the Vulcan from that, if just a bit.

“You know,” he said after a while of glaring at the broccoli plants in Spock’s way, “That inhuman strength of yours is damn useful in a pinch.”

“Clearly,” Spock said, fingers squeezing lightly. “Though, in the instance that my strength was not an available option, there were also a number of alternate ways to lift you out of the pit.”

“But this one was mutually beneficial.”

He couldn’t see Spock’s face, but he knew a Vulcan eyebrow had been quirked. “Mutually, Doctor?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t like carrying me around.”

Silence from the Vulcan for just a moment, then he tilted his head in consideration and said, “It is preferable to walking slower to match your own walking speed.”

McCoy scowled. “What? Are you calling me a slow walker? The only reason I was walking slow was you were making me, you--”

Thunder crashed, this time closer and louder than ever. Spock paused just a moment to turn, and they were both able to see the storm gathering speed as if hoping to catch the Starfleet officers before they reached shelter.

Spock turned again and headed for the forest at a swift walk, long legs pushing through the dense growth around them. He hefted McCoy again, and this time McCoy grunted, knees pressing around Spock’s side to keep from sliding down again. 

“Be _careful,_ Spock! Don’t slip! The ground’s still wet!”

“I am aware, Leonard.”

“I’m just saying, you’re moving kinda fast there--”

“I am moving at a safe speed--”

“Safe my ass--”

“Leonard, as you are the one who fell earlier, I would suggest you--”

Suddenly, Spock slipped.

McCoy yelped, and threw his hands out to brace for impact as the Vulcan tumbled forward. Spock grunted under him as they hit the ground, but he’d managed to turn in such a way that McCoy’s injured ankle was not trapped beneath him. Still, McCoy gasped in pain, and only just managed to roll off Spock so the Vulcan wouldn’t be trapped under him.

“Spock! Are you ok? Are--”

Before he could demand anymore answers, Spock jumped to his feet, kneeled down, scooped a startled doctor off the ground and into his arms, and power walked towards the forest.

“Hey! Answer me! Are you hurt?”

“No, doctor. Your ankle?”

There was a fire demon gnawing on his ankle and basically his entire leg, but Leonard said, “Fine. You’re walking fast again.”

“No faster than before.”

“Yeah, but that’s how you fell!” 

“You are struggling again, Leonard, and making our escape far more difficult--”

“Dammit, I’m _not struggling--_ ”

Suddenly, Spock began to shimmer, and McCoy felt the tingle of his atoms being ripped apart by a transporter beam, and the world dissolved around them, Spock’s firm grip and warm embrace disappearing.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three hours later, McCoy was drying his hair after a much needed shower. The pain in his ankle was all but forgotten as he walked to his bed, clad in only his pajama bottoms, rubbing a warm towel over his head. M’Bengad had seen to his fracture as soon as Spock had helped him to medbay, and after a quick examination, he’d left to his room to recuperate. 

What he needed now was a good few hours of sleep before his next shift.

Before he could toss his towel to the side and fall into bed, his door chimed.

He opened the door and stepped aside to let a stoic Vulcan walk in, then closed it as Spock turned to face him.

“You are well, Leonard?”

“Just fine,” McCoy said. He lifted his healed foot and wiggled it with a grin. “Better than ever, actually.”

“I am glad,” Spock said.

McCoy crossed his arms. “You come here just to check up on lil ol’ me?”

“That, and,” Spock said, then moved forward to press McCoy against the wall. “I believe it would be wise to practice different carrying techniques for future missions.”

“Oh?”

“Yes,” Spock said. His fingers rested firmly against McCoy’s side, and slid down as McCoy lifted one leg then the other to wrap around Spock’s waist. Once again McCoy found himself very aware of the strong hands gripping under his butt, but this time he definitely didn’t mind a single bit.

Sleep could wait.


End file.
